


Texarkana

by victoria_p (musesfool)



Series: Dog Days of Summer [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: dogdaysofsummer, M/M, Marauders' Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-08-02
Updated: 2005-08-02
Packaged: 2018-03-20 05:51:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3639138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musesfool/pseuds/victoria_p
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It's like flying."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Texarkana

They shuffle down to the local Muggle playground, overgrown boys with too-long limbs and too-large feet they trip over if they’re not paying close attention. Well, not Sirius, of course, because Sirius is--has always been--preternaturally graceful. Remus wonders out loud if that’s what centuries of inbreeding does and Sirius smacks him on the back of the head. They push and shove as James and Peter circle round them laughing and encouraging. Sirius mentions that centuries of inbreeding have left James both ugly and dumb, which sets them all into hysterics as James sputters and tackles Sirius to the grass.

Remus and Peter glower at the little kids on the swings, and while there’s always one who’s defiant--Remus parts with an old Martin Muggle comic and Peter with a chocolate bar to get rid of the pesky bugger--all four boys are soon ensconced on the swings.

Eyes squinting against the hazy afternoon sun, they rise higher and higher into the sky, legs pumping and hearts racing. Remus loves the swings, though he’d tried to hide it, kept his voice diffident when he’d suggested this little outing, afraid the others would think it too childish, too girly, too... weak. But Sirius had thought it was brilliant. _Muggle shite is the best_ , he’d said, and James had joined in enthusiastically.

Peter tires first, which isn’t surprising, and ends up sprawled on the grass, bemoaning the loss of his chocolate. James peels off to hang upside down from the monkey bars, much to the delight of some of the littler kids. He ends up the center of a small group of delighted anklebiters who con him into helping them dangle from the bars themselves, or take them up in his arms and spin wildly until he drops to the grass, dizzy and breathless, or give them piggyback rides around the tiny yard.

Remus and Sirius, meanwhile, try to outrace each other to the sky, and Remus feels a great swelling in his chest of something he can’t name, can’t define--courage or love or joy or, as he launches himself from the swing in mid-flight, utter stupidity. He lands badly but rolls quickly to his knees, unable to catch his breath, catch the moment, catch that feeling again.

Sirius forces himself to a halt and comes tumbling after.

"Moony, what the fuck--" he says, hands roaming over Remus’s body, searching for injury, and when he doesn't find any, copping a quick feel that does nothing to slow Remus’s heart rate.

Remus says, "It’s like flying." Because it was, for one brief instant.

Sirius shakes his head. "Insane. Utterly barmy," he clucks like Pomfrey on the morning after a full moon.

Remus laughs. "Pot, meet kettle."

Sirius reaches out a hand, brushes Remus’s too-long fringe off his forehead, dropping his gaze as if shamed by this show of tenderness.

Remus doesn’t let him get away with it, though, grabbing his hand and pressing a quick kiss to the palm, knowing Peter and James are otherwise occupied and not caring if any of the kids see. "Idiot."

Sirius snorts. "You could have got hurt. You should have let me go first."

"So you could get hurt instead?"

"So I could catch you when you fell," Sirius replies, his gaze intent, and that feeling is back in Remus’s chest. He has a name for it now. He thinks it may be love.

*


End file.
